poteenn.

Brit.

/pɒˈtiːn/,

/pɒˈtʃiːn/,

/pəˈtiːn/,

/pəˈtʃiːn/, U.S.

/pɑˈtin/,

/poʊˈtin/, Irish English

/ˈpʌtiːn/,

/ˈpʌtʃiːn/,

/poʊˈtiːn/

Forms: 1800s potteen, 1800s– poteen, 1800s– potheen, 1800s– potsheen, 1800s– pottheen (now rare), 1800s– potyeen, 1900s– poithín, 1900s– poitín, 1900s– poitin, 1900s– potcheen.

Origin: A borrowing from Irish. Etymon: Irish poitín.

Etymology: < Irish poitín small pot, pot still, illicit whiskey < pota pot n.¹ + -ín -een suffix²; compare Irish regional (Connacht) fuisce poitín pot still whiskey. Compare pot still n. Compare also Scottish Gaelic poit-dhubh small pot still, literally ‘black pot’.The variety of anglicized forms represent attempts to render the unfamiliar quality of the Irish -it(i)-, which differs in pronunciation in different regional varieties of Irish.

In Ireland: whiskey produced in small quantities in a private, illegal still.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > whisky > [noun] > illicit whisky

poteen1809

mountain dew1816

poteen whiskey1816

white whisky1822

pine-top1858

white mule1880

wild-cat whisky1881

brush whisky1885

wild cat1887

white lightning1907

1809 Belfast Commerc. Chron. 8 Mar. Illegal distillation—a practice injurious to all, and most heartily detested by a very great body of respectable publicans, who are compelled, in their own defence to smuggle and retail this poisonous poteen.

1820 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 7 478 Whiskey too was made, They call'd Potheen, and sold so very cheap.

1856 C. J. Lever Martins of Cro' Martin x. 87 ‘That is “poteen”, Mr. Massingbred’, said the host. ‘It's the small still that never paid the King a farthing’.

1907 J. M. Synge Playboy of Western World iii. 63 A place with fine trade, with a licence, and with poteen too.

1952 A. John Chiaroscuro 102 ‘Poteen’ was dispensed. This excellent beverage, locally and illegally distilled, was much appreciated.

1996 J. Doran Red Doran 60 Susy McColgan used to make poteen and she brought it to Derry and sold it to some pub owner who in turn mixed it with Irish whiskey to colour it.

Compounds

General attributive.

poteen-maker n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > manufacture of alcoholic drink > distilling > [noun] > illicit distilling > illicit distiller

moonshiner1860

poteen-maker1893

1893 Fitchburg (Mass.) Daily Sentinel 20 May 10/2 I had been sauntering among the Connamara [sic] ‘knitters’, ‘fullers’, poteen-makers and antiquities of the ancient Celts with which this region abounds.

1907 J. M. Synge Playboy of Western World ii. 36 Drink a health to the wonders of the western world, the pirates, preachers, poteen-makers, with the jobbing jockies.

2000 M. Fletcher Silver Linings (2001) vii. 169 I'd spent months trying to track down one of Northern Ireland's few remaining poteen-makers.

† poteen punch n. Obsolete rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > hot alcoholic drinks (with milk or eggs) > [noun] > punch > types of punch

rum punch1683

brandy-punch1689

milk punch1702

rack punch1713

tea-punch1728

rumbo1738

lime-punch1774

Tom and Jerries1822

poteen punch1826

Oxford punch1827

bimbo1837

mumbo-jum1837

1826 J. Banim & M. Banim Tales by O'Hara Family 2nd Ser. I. 273 Two [decanters] containing cold pottheen punch.

† poteen shop n. Obsolete rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > trading place > place where retail transactions made > [noun] > shop > shop selling liquor > unlicensed > specific illicit or illegal

poteen shop1834

blind-pig1887

hole in the wall1887

speakeasy1889

1834 F. Marryat Peter Simple II. xvii. 292 There's a flaunty sort of young woman at the poteen shop there.

poteen whiskey n.

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